Tiltable lawn chair



April 5,1949. a. E NELSON 2,466,264

TILTABLE LAWN CHAIR Filed July 13, 1945 INVE-NTOR' BURTON E. NELSON Patented Apr. 5, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TILTABLE LAWN CHAIR Burton E. Nelson, Menomo'nie, Wia, assigntr to Gladstone Cherry, Milwaukee, Wis.

Application July 13, 1945, Serial No. 604,801

, 2 Claims. 1

My invention refers to chairs, particularly of the outdoor type, having a skeleton frame, carrying a flexible hammock seat, suspended between upper and lower cross-bars.

The particular object of my invention is to provide a frame having the usual front and rear pair of leg supports, supplemented by arms having an overhung extension section, which extensions not only serve as high foot and limb rests, in a normal reclining position, but also the arms serve as auxiliary supporting legs, when the chair is tilted or rocked forward, for converting the same into an easy sitting position. In the last mentioned position, it will be noted that the chair is rocked forward upon the front legs, to shift the center of gravity, causing the rear legs to be suspended above the ground.

While my invention is particularly directed to inexpensive rigid frame chairs of the outdoor type, it is understood that in some instances I may provide a frame of the folding type and also substitute for the legs, a base Support of any type havin rockers, whereby the center of gravity is shifted from one position to the other.

A further object of my invention is to provide the hammock apron with means, at its upper back end, for adjusting the sag in said apron and for ready detachment of the apron from the frame, whereby the apron may be rolled to its anchor base for storage purposes.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, substantially as hereinafter described, and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the herein disclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claims.

In the accompanying drawings is illustrated one complete example of the physical embodiment of the present invention constructed according to the best mode so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 represents a sectional elevation of a chair embodying the features of my invention, the section being indicated by line l-l of Figure 2.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the same, with parts broken away and other parts in section to more clearly illustrate structural features, and

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the chair in its forwardly tilted position, wherein the front legs and arms serve as supports.

Referring by characters to the drawings, l-i indicate front and rear legsuppor-ts, connected at their intersections by bolts :2. The frontor auxiliary legs have rail extensions 3, the rear legs I have front rail extensions 3".

The legs are connected by transversely disposed struts 4 -4' and the front and back rail extensions are similarly connected by brace bars 5-5 respectively. For the purpose of adding rigidity to the chair frame, the terminals of the back rail extensions are connected by'a strip 6, whichstrlp is spaced from the brace bar 5'.

The skeleton frame is provided with horizontally positioned arms 'l-T. The rear ends of which one piece arms are connected by bolts 8, to the back rail extensions 3. The front portion of the arms are secured by bolts 9, to the ends of the front rails 3, as shown. Particular attention is directed to the fact that the arm rests, forming frame braces, are also extended beyond the ends-of the brace bars 5, and rail extnsionsd to form comfortable limb supports, as indicated in dotted lines (Figure 1), when the chair is in its full reclining position.

Permanently secured to the transversely positioned brace bar 5' is the end of a sagging apron seat H), of the hammock type. The rear end of the apron is permanently secured to a cross-bar ll, of the polygonal face type, in cross section. This cross-bar, which is removable, has projecting ends, as indicated in Figure 2, which rest upon the edges of the back supporting rail members.

In assembling the chair, the sag or slack in the apron is determined by winding the fabric about the cross-bar II, and said cross-bar is thereafter threaded between the brace bar 5' and strip 6. The apron I0 is trained under the brace bar 5' and the cross-bar ll rests flatly upon the back supports 3. Thus it will be seen that the angular bite of the apron, upon the brace bar, due to load strain upon its seat portion, will cause the cross-bar II to frictionally engage and grip the back supports.

From the foregoing description, with reference to anchorage of the back end of the hammock apron, it will be noted that said end may be detached from the chair frame and rolled completely to its front end, for the purpose of preserving the apron when stored.

As particularly shown in Figure 2 of the drawings, in assembling the chair frame, the crossbars and struts are all mortised into the outside rail frame members and, hence, it would be a very simple operation to ship the chair frames,

knocked down, to be thereafter set up and secured by bolts.

Referring now to the combined utility of the invention, when the chair is in the position shown in Figure 1, the occupant may conveniently lie back and comfortably relax, by spreading out and resting the limbs upon the arm extensions. In this reolining position the center of gravity-is back ofthe master legs I, as indicated by the dotted line XX.

Should the occupant, however, desire to assume a sitting up posture, as he moves forward, the center of gravity will float beyond the master front legs, as indicated by the dotted line Y. This shifting of weight will cause the chair to rock on its ground engaging master legs l-I and in its forward swing, the extended ends of the arms will engage the ground surface and thus serve as auxiliary ground engaging leg supports, for maintaining th chair in the position shown in Figure 3.

Briefly, it should be noted there are three sets of ground supporting legs embodying a master leg which is rocked backwardly to cause the chai to be supported upon said master legs and the rear legs. The auxiliary legs being in suspension to serve as arm and leg supports in its horizontal position. To place the chair in a sitting position, it is only necessary to rock the same forward upon the master legs whereby the rear legs I will be in suspension and the arm comprises ends which constitute auxiliary legs are in engagement with the ground.

Incidentally, it should be noted that the Weight is then shifted as indicated in Figure 3 by the legs YY, forward of the master legs.

I claim:

1. In a combined sitting and reclining chair having a master pair of legs and a rear pair of legs crossing each other and secured at their crossing, said pairs of legs having rail extensions; the combination of one piece arm rests .4 secured to the rails having projecting ends forming a third pair of auxiliary legs forward of the master legs, a sa ging apron connecting the pairs of rails having its center of weight rearwardly of the master legs when the chair is in a reclining position, the weight center being shifted forwardly of the master legs when the chair is rocked thereon to a sitting position to cause the auxiliary legs to engage and support the chair whereby the load is maintained between the pairs of master legs and auxiliary legs.

2. A combined sitting and reclining chair comprising front and rear supporting legs, and elongated arm rests and auxiliary legs carried by said front and rear legs and extending forwardly therefrom a material distance in a substantially horizontal plane when the chair is used for reclining, the lower ends of said front legs forming fulcrums, whereby the chair can be tilted forwardly thereon to engage the forward ends of the combination auxiliary legs and arm rests with the ground and the rear legs above and oil of the ground when the chair is used for sitting.

BURTON E. NELSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain Feb. 18, 1926 

